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The California State University and the Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) have developed a collaborative program as a solution to the shortage of minority teachers in California, especially in the highly diverse Central Valley. The program enables minority paraprofessionals working in FUSD schools, as well as other persons interested in pursuing a degree program in education, to obtain their teaching certificate through an innovative distance-learning project. The program recruits from a pool of over 300 minority paraprofessionals and other interested students who have completed a minimum of 40 college credits. Eligible participants must be classroom teacher’s aides or participants in the Volunteer Placement Program (VPP). The VPP was created to recruit students who may or may not be paraprofessionals into the teacher education program. All candidates must maintain the academic standards for entry into the teacher education program and possess a strong commitment to the teaching profession.
This project operates in collaboration with two other programs: 1) students who are recruited through the Career Ladder Paraprofessional Program; and 2) students who are recruited through the VPP. The students under the paraprofessional component receive advisement throughout the semester from our two program advisors. They also attend a Saturday Academy on campus that provides instruction on becoming a successful professional educator. The Career Ladder Paraprofessional Program provides assistance to students in preparation for the California Basic Education Skills Test (CBEST).
The students under the VPP are assigned a mentor teacher. Each of our mentor teachers is assigned a given number of students to work directly with throughout the semester. In particular, the master teachers serve as role models and mentors to the students in the VPP. As a part of their duties, the mentor teachers: 1) make weekly contact with the students; 2) make site visits to observe the students in their classes; 3) hold monthly conferences/workshops with their student cohorts; and 4) arrange for the students to observe real-time classroom activities at the mentor teacher’s home school.
The distance-learning courses are broadcast to three neighborhood resource centers located with the FUSD school district at Addams Elementary, Burroughs Elementary, and Carver Academy Middle School. Each semester, three courses within the Liberal Studies major are offered via distance learning. These community sites provide a convenient location and allow the paraprofessionals and other participants to minimize travel time. The centers also provide activities for the participants’ children while the former are attending classes.
This model is highly replicable because it utilizes affordable and cost-effective technology for distance-learning transmission and reception. With minor additional hardware, a similar program might utilize existing desktop computers and telephone lines for communication, minimizing facility costs by using existing classrooms. After graduating, the participating students will be high on the hiring list for teaching positions within the Fresno Unified School District.
ONLINE REFERENCE:
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Robert Mikell
Project Director
California State
University, Fresno
Ethnic Studies Program
MS 100
2225 E. San Ramon Avenue
Fresno, CA 93740-8029
Tel: 559-278-2913
Fax: 559-278-2233
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